


The Best Gift

by lieano



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Christmas, Established Relationship, Fluff, Inspired by The Gift of the Magi - O. Henry, M/M, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-24 11:02:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,148
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13212408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lieano/pseuds/lieano
Summary: Asahi and Noya, married, get part time seasonal jobs to buy each other the perfect christmas gift.





	The Best Gift

**Author's Note:**

> 2017 Asanoya Secret Santa gift for tumblr user @flippinflakes!!! You asked for married and soft, sweet kisses so I hope this fills those fluffy needs for you. I hope it gives you a feel or two. Inspired by the Gift of the Magi story. Please head over to the @asanoyasecretsanta tumblr for like a million other really amazing asanoya fills. I love this ship and I love this fandom~ Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and Happy Birthday soon Asahi lol E~n~j~o~y

The most expensive gift Noya ever got Asahi was his graduation gift. And that was only possible because the rest of the team pitched in. Daichi and Suga received matching presents, with their numbers of 1 and 2 carved into the white gold pendants instead of 3.

Asahi cried when he opened it. Probably partly because he was graduating and was feeling sentimental, but Noya liked to think that he loved the gift too. To this day, years later, it remains the only instance in which Noya has gotten such a reaction out of him over a gift, and he’d split it nine ways with the rest of his teammates. The only original gift Noya had been able to afford to give Asahi back then was a small wallet sized picture of himself, which at the time he thought was a clever way of saying ‘Don’t forget me while you’re away at college’, but now just seems corny and conceited. 

It has been years since then and now Noya has a job. He has expendable income, which is something he still isn’t quite used to. Sure, he has bills and responsibilities, but for the most part it’s just him and Asahi living in a small apartment with no one depending on them. He is free to spend his money however he wants. And this year, he is determined to spend it on something nice to give Asahi for Christmas. 

Noya plucks at the chain around Asahi’s neck. He hasn’t taken it off since high school. He even wears it to bed and in the shower. 

The sun is poking through the blinds in their bedroom window and Noya can tell by the way his eyes are fluttering that Asahi is still reconciling with his subconscious the fact that it is morning and he has to wake up. Noya himself has been wide awake for a while already. He has a few things he wants to get done before Asahi is fully awake, things he does every morning. But he doesn’t want to move just yet. He likes this. Watching Asahi at his most vulnerable. It’s a side of him only Noya gets to see, and every time he’s reminded of that, his heart flutters as if they’re teenagers again confessing their love for the first time. The only other piece of jewelry Asahi wears as devotedly as the necklace is the silver ring on his left hand that signifies their forever. 

Noya ignores Asahi’s soft grunting as he continues to pick at the necklace. He tugs the chain out from under Asahi’s beard, which has gotten pretty long this winter. The pendant on the necklace is real white gold and is well kept by Asahi. It bounces the reflection from the sun all around their room for a moment. The chain, however, is a little cheaper and is definitely starting to show signs of wear. Patches of it are turning brown with tarnish. 

Noya frowns. A new chain for the pendant. One also made of white gold so that they match. That would be a good gift, wouldn’t it? 

Asahi lets out a loud groan and lolls his head toward Noya. His eyes flutter open again. “What time is it?” he moans, squinting against the dull light filling their room. 

“Seven,” Noya says. He peels their bare chests apart and climbs up Asahi just far enough to place a soft peck against the side of his mouth. “Sleep in. I’ll make breakfast in a few.” Asahi moans again and rolls over as soon as Noya hops off of him. 

Asahi will sleep for at least another two hours, which gives Noya plenty of time to go for a jog before he starts breakfast. So he springs to his closet and starts to get ready to meet the brisk winter morning outside. 

Noya loves jogging in the winter. The crisp air and the sleepiness of the rest of the world. He fiddles with one of the buds on his earphones as he jogs. It’s broken in one side, as his brand of cheap headphones usually are. His retro MP3 player plays him a custom built winter playlist that Asahi made. 

He runs through his neighborhood and into the small adjacent town where some shops are just starting to open, prepared to sell to early holiday shoppers. Noya would have ran on passed them along his usual route, but something catches his eye and he stops, jogging in place and looking in one of the display windows. 

On little velvet pedestals is a row of beautiful silver necklaces. The chains glisten in the morning light, reflecting off the frost that clings to the edges of the window. Noya takes out his one good earbud and walks inside. 

“Theoretically,” Noya starts, catching the jeweler off guard as he continues to set up his displays for the day. “How much would it cost me just buy a gold chain?” 

The jewelry looks Noya up and down, probably judging his worn workout clothes, unwashed hair, and wind whipped pink cheeks. Noya maintains eye contact and bites his tongue. The jeweler moves away from his current display and beckons Noya to follow him. 

A few minutes later, Noya storms out of the jeweler's store, trying to keep his cool. He had been incredibly rude, implying that Noya was too young to be able to afford _anything_ in the store, even a simple gold chain. It’s ridiculous. Noya is in his 30’s. Why do people still mistake him for a kid? 

Nothing in the world would have made Noya happier in that moment than to buy one of those chains and maybe a little something extra for Asahi while he stood there. But as it is, he couldn’t actually afford solid gold right now. He isn’t a kid, but he isn’t made of money either. Noya sighs, puts in his good earbud, and walks down the street. 

After a few blocks of pure fuming, Noya is about to pick up his jog again when a billboard catches his eye. There are damp flyers for Christmas themed events happening around town, sales happening nearby, and, most importantly, seasonal holiday jobs that are hiring. 

Noya plucks one of the flyers from the billboard and grins. Before Christmas, he’s going to prove that jeweler wrong. But most importantly, he’s going to Asahi that expensive gift he’s always wanted to get him. 

\--- 

Asahi wakes the same way he does every morning: to the smell of fresh cooked food creeping in through the bedroom door from somewhere else in the apartment. On the list of reasons Asahi spends a few minutes every day thanking whatever deities are clearly watching over him for not only putting Noya in his life, but allowing them to get married, this is toward the top. 

It’s unreal how perfect they are for each other. How seamlessly their routines fit together when they moved in together all those years ago. Noya wakes up early and makes breakfast, filling the apartment with all the warmth Asahi needs to greet the day ahead. And in return, Asahi usually makes dinner, which he knows Noya is grateful for when he is starting to wind down. 

After a long day of work, and with a belly full of food, Noya always gets super cuddly in the evenings and that’s another thing on the gratitude list. 

Asahi stretches and lumbers out of the bedroom. He makes a quick stop at the bathroom, but then he’s burying his face in Noya’s pre-gelled hair that smells like shampoo. Noya, all grins and good morning moods, swats him away and hands him a plate of hot food. “Your beard tickles.” 

Asahi strokes the offended hairs with a hand thoughtfully before he takes the plate. “Is it too long? Should I get it trimmed?” 

“Not yet,” Noya hums. “You can wait till it’s warmer. I kinda dig it.” 

They share a quick, soft kiss and it’s the easiest thing in the world. Waking up to Noya every day, sharing his life with his best friend, it’s the easiest thing for Asahi. Not to say that there aren’t hard parts. In fact, one of them is coming up in a few weeks. On the 25th. 

“You have plans today right?” Noya asks as they eat their breakfast together. 

Asahi swallows his food effortlessly and tries not to sweat. He’s so bad at lying. Not that his answer to this question is a lie, but if any digging went on beyond that simple surface response, he would be in hot water. “Yes.” 

Noya nods. “Good. Something came up for me too. I didn’t want you to hang out here lonely all day.” 

Asahi’s anxiety melts away. He’s in the clear. He isn’t going to come under any sort of questioning about what his plans _are_ and that suits him just fine. 

After breakfast, Noya leaves. They kiss goodbye, promise to meet home for dinner, and then he’s gone into the cold. Asahi still has some time before his covert appointment today, so he decides to clean up. 

Usually when people are early risers, they are also decently organized individuals. People who wake up early have their lives together, or so that’s what Asahi had always thought until he moved in with Noya. Since the myth has been busted, it’s Asahi who cleans the dishes, makes their bed, and picks up Noya’s discarded jogging gear that is strewn around the entire apartment. His finger’s linger on the old MP3 player that Noya still listens to, and the taped up headphones plugged into them. 

Music has been an important part of Noya and Asahi’s lives even before they met. Asahi liked to use music to help express himself. In fact, when they did start dating, he often made Noya mix cd’s to help him articulate his feelings when words failed him. Noya needed music when he worked out or warmed up for anything. It was a crucial part of his morning routine. He’s been using that same MP3 player for years, ever since before they got smartphones. He usually leaves his phone at home when he goes for his morning jogs, arguing that, as his way of meditating, it is important to unplug from the internet. Plus, he refuses to buy the special headphones he needs for his top of the line phone. 

Asahi is going to buy Noya new headphones for Christmas. Nice ones. The MP3 player itself is old, but it’s still in perfect working condition and they stopped making them years ago anyway. He couldn’t replace that. The headphones Noya always buys, however, are cheap and usually break within a week. If he got nice ones that will last him for a year or two, Noya would probably freak out. 

The problem with this plan is the headphones Asahi wants to buy, the ones he has picked out after months of research and sneakily asking Noya questions about his preference, are ridiculously expensive. So today, without telling Noya, Asahi is going to a part time seasonal job he picked up to help supplement his income. 

Asahi puts the precious MP3 player and it’s crappy headphones on Noya’s dresser, and then leaves the apartment with all of the confidence he can muster. He is going to need it. 

\--- 

This wasn’t the _most_ embarrassing job Noya had ever taken. He keeps reminding himself of that instead of thinking about the jeweler this morning that thought he was too young to be in his shop. 

The help wanted ad Noya was answering was to set up a winter scene where children could come meet Santa Claus later. There were multiple decorated evergreen trees, a tone of fake snow, jingle bells, wooden reindeer, and a red velvet throne set up in the courtyard of the mall. But Noya hadn’t put up any of it. No, instead, when he showed up and his employers saw his small stature, they whisked him to the back where he had been outfitted as one of the characters for the events. An elf, to be exact. One of ‘Santa’s Little Helpers’. Noya is now wearing green and red striped tights, a shirt covered in small bells, pointy shoes, and fake ears. 

“Look at the bright side,” Noya says to himself in the mirror of the mall bathroom, moments before he is supposed to go outside. “No one you know has any kids yet. And most people you know would probably think this is cool of you to do if you do happen to run into anyone. The nightmare scenario is Tanaka finding me like this, but he’s out of town for the holidays, so there’s no chance of that. And you _are_ getting paid extra.” Noya takes a deep breath then clenches his fist and grins at the dorky reflection of himself. “Go rock these kids’ Christmas, Elf-Noya.” 

There is already a line of parents and their hesitant toddlers when the characters enter the event area. Santa isn't here yet and the crowd is growing restless. Noya is placed at the front of the line with the instructions to field people through when the event begins. A winding river of wide eyes stare up at him as he fiddles with the rope blocking them off from the empty velvet throne. 

His shirt jingles and Noya looks down at a little hand clutching the hem of it. “Is Santa scary?” the little girl asks in a nervously squeaky voice. 

Noya beams at her. “Of course he’s not scary. Santa is cool! He-” Noya is cut off by some commotion on the other end of the throne. A big person in a red suit is backing up through the ropes and children in the line behind them are starting to gasp with excitement. “In fact he’s right.. There…” 

Right away, Noya can tell that the man playing Santa is not very old. The laugh lines around his eyes are new, he doesn’t have any other wrinkles or signs or age. The fat suit he’s wearing is obviously fake. His beard is authentic, but the white dusting in it is spray paint. And when he turns to the children and lets loose the weakest ‘ho ho ho’ Noya has ever heard, he’s certain the other kids can see through the charade too. But the children cheer and the young Santa takes a seat on the throne and Noya keeps an eye on him. 

He’s not just a bad Santa impersonator. He’s familiar. Behind the white hair spray and the big red hat and the inflated belly is someone Noya knows. Someone he woke up to this morning and saw just a few hours ago before he left his own house. 

Santa Claus is his husband. 

\--- 

Asahi wasn’t entirely sure he was cut out for this job. 

Sure he’s big, but he isn’t _that_ chubby (he’d like to think). And yeah, he’d inadvertently grown a beard over the past few cold months, but (fingers crossed) he wasn’t close to graying yet at all. The fat suit is fake, the age is an illusion. He is _positive_ children are smart enough to figure this ruse out. 

To his complete shock, children start to cheer when he walks into the event area. There are actually a ton of them. Asahi almost seizes up with stage fright, but he focuses on the children instead of their scrutinizing parents and manages to let out a weak “Ho ho ho.” 

He takes his seat on the throne and prepares to accept the first child. How hard is this job actually going to be? He lets a few kids sit on his lap, tell him about how good they were this year and what they want for Christmas, promise that he might be able to deliver, and then send them back to their parents. Until a kid starts screaming in fear. That’s when he’ll have a problem. 

Asahi faces the front of the line just as the rope is pulled back and the first kid is ushered in. For one horrifying moment, Asahi thinks he sees Noya dressed up as an elf, but that’s ridiculous. The chances of him running into anyone who recognizes him here, let alone his own husband, are slim to none. He does a double take just to be sure. 

‘Noya’ is glaring at him. Right at him. He replaces the rope at the front of the line without breaking eye contact. Asahi has seen this super intense gaze before and his palms start to sweat. He blinks a few times but the look won’t go away. He starts to worry that he isn’t just imagining it. That Noya does, in fact, work at the same Santa village as him. 

Asahi doesn’t have a ton of time to process this development because a mother is handing him her child. She clears her throat and Asahi snaps back to reality and takes the toddler whose face scrunches up as soon as her mother’s hands are gone. 

“Uh, h-hello there,” Asahi says in the smallest voice. “What’s your name?” The girl’s lip quivers but she doesn’t speak. “Uh… Have you been good this year?” She nods. Shakily, but that’s progress. “Oh, good. Well, what do you want for Christmas?” 

As if this were the codeword needed to open a floodgate, the child opens her mouth and starts wailing. Asahi panics. The first child, really?! He starts to bounce his leg and shush the child and tries to smile at the camera in front of them, urging the toddler to follow his lead. She just continues to scream and cry and lean across Asahi, reaching desperately for her mother. 

In the middle of it all, Asahi pick up the faint sound of Noya snorting. He glances over, just out the corner of his eye, and sure enough Noya is still there, dressed as an elf and holding a hand to his mouth desperately. He’s either about to puke, or bust up laughing. Asahi’s face grows hot all the same. 

In the middle of the pandemonium, Asahi remembers the bag of sweets tucked up next to his throne. He takes one hand away from the panicking child and thrusts it into the bag, producing miniature candy cane. 

“Here you go, little one,” he says to the girl. She somehow sees the candy through her bulbous tears and her wails simmer down to a little whimper. “See? That’s a good girl. I’m sure you can expect to see lots of presents from me under the tree on Christmas morning.” 

The girl sniffles and takes the candy. She doesn’t make eye contact with Asahi, but she finally calms down for the camera. Then her mother is scooping her up, whispering thanks to Asahi, and she is gone. And it’s time for the next child. 

The whole ordeal lasts maybe two minutes, but Asahi is exhausted. Still, he hadn’t planned any of those lines he gave to the little girl and their presence imbues him with the will to keep going. He speaks to child after child, some of them fussy and some of them down right excited to be meeting _the_ Santa Claus. They all make him nervous, but he passes out the candy canes and gains their favor, and some of them gain his. And he hopes that their parents will deliver on all the lofty promises he keeps making on their behalf. 

After four hours of seeing children, the managers of the event call for lunch. The cast is ushered into a back room where a catered spread is waiting for them. And Noya is waiting for Asahi. His gaze is intense again and Asahi shuffles to him in the corner of the room obediently. 

“You didn’t tell me you were getting a part time job,” Noya hisses. 

“You didn’t say anything either,” Asahi says, trying to harden his expression. 

Noya blushes. He is so easy to read, just another thing Asahi loves about him. “Well… no… it was last minute for me.” 

Asahi sighs. “Not for me. I was recruited.” 

Noya raises his eyebrow. “To play Santa? But you’re not fat. Or old. Is it the beard? That’s not a very good basis for Santa. Lots of people have beards.” 

“Apparently they’re running low this year,” Asahi murmurs. He almost reaches up to stroke his beard before he remembers that it’s coated in cheap temporary white hair spray. “I’m starting to think it was a bad idea. I’m not cut out for this. I’m _so bad_ at lying, Noya. And to _children_. It’s stressing me out.” 

Noya laughs and it’s a sound sweeter than jingle bells which, incidentally, also jingle up and down his shirt as his shoulders bounce. “I think you’re doing fine, dude.” He clamps Asahi on the shoulder and Asahi melts a little under his touch. “The kids dig the hell out of you. For the most part. I can tell.” 

“Oh,” Asahi says, trying to hid his blush. “If you say so…” 

He looks out to the crowd of their coworkers, all digging into the little buffet set up for them. No one seems to be looking at them, but they are still only a few feet away. It’s a shame. Asahi could really use some extra confidence right now. He sighs. “I wish I could kiss you,” he whispers. 

Noya also glances at their coworkers out of the corner of his eye, then looks back up at Asahi, a devilish grin on his face. “Come down here, I wanna tell you a secret.” 

Asahi blinks and bends to Noya’s height. It happens so quickly from there. Noya leans in toward Asahi’s ear with his mouth open, grabs the back of Asahi’s head, where the red hat is pinned to his hair, and slips it so that it covers their faces for just an instant. To anyone looking from the outside, it might appear to be an accident. Like Noya slipped. But Noya grabs Asahi’s lips in is and sucks in a breath through his nose sharply. Asahi’s eyes flutter closed for a moment. Just a moment, and then they’re apart again. Only the wall knows their secret. 

Asahi stands back up to his full height. His heart feels like it’s been jump started back to life. Maybe Noya being here is a blessing in disguise. His presence is like a shot of self confidence directly into Asahi’s veins. 

He pushes all of his long brown hair back up into the santa hat, and then has to stifle a laugh when his eyes lock with Noya’s again. 

“What’s so funny?” Noya asks, frowning as he fixes his shirt. 

“You got a little…” Asahi motions to his own mouth. Between embarrassed laughter, they try to be subtle once again as they wipe the white paint off of Noya’s mouth. 

\--- 

The Santa gig started four weeks before Christmas for Asahi and Noya. They spend their weekends there together, bringing hope and wonder to the local children. Or at least, that’s what they tell themselves they are doing at night when they are laying in bed after a long day in costume. And they never once talk about _why_ they’re both there. They skirt around that issue with the ease and grace of a couple who have been married for a while now and know when surprises are afoot. 

The best part for Noya isn’t even the check he is going to get at the end, however. It is watching Asahi with the children. The way he whispers to shy kids, bounces rowdy kids on his knee to keep them entertained, and laughs at their bad jokes. Even the way he tries, often in vain, to soothe the frightened children. There is something beautiful about watching the man he loves influence the lives of these innocent kids. 

Four weeks pass in the blink of an eye. Then Noya is receiving a check from his part-time boss on Christmas Eve, and he forgets all about the children. The mission at hand returns to him with intensity. 

“Thank you for all you did,” his boss says to him as Noya’s eyes transifx on the number on the check. “I know you didn’t come here with the intention of being an elf, but you did spectacularly. Many of the children were just as taken with you as they were our Santa Claus. If you need a job next year-” 

“Yes, of course,” Noya says, cutting him off. He springs out of his chair and emphatically shakes the man’s hand. “I will think about it next year. Thank you for the opportunity! Bye!” 

He launches out of the office and promptly out of the mall. He knows Asahi is probably on his way from his day job to collect his check as well and Noya doesn’t want to be around when he gets here. He wants to be long gone. 

The music pumping out of his one good earbud pushes him forward through the town as he sprints. He is against the clock. These mom and pop stores are going to close much earlier than the big box one. And this chance to buy Asahi something nice for once will be gone. 

He bursts into the door just a little before they close. The jeweler is just as startled now as he was four weeks ago, one might even argue even more so. Noya brandishes his wad of freshly cashed money and grins. “Okay,” he says. “Let's talk about that gold chain now old man.” 

After a minute of counting and calculating, the worst minute of Noya’s life, the jeweler looks up at him and raises an eyebrow. “This is not quite enough for the white gold chain you want,” he says in a monotone voice. “But perhaps I can interest you in a sterling silver one?” 

“Come on, dude!” Noya yells at the man. “I worked my butt off all month for this! Can’t I talk you down a little bit?!” 

As he speaks, Noya waves his hands back and forth emphatically. The jeweler watches him with a far away look, his gaze concentrated on the old MP3 player clutched in one of Noya’s fists. Finally, he says, “Does that old thing still work?” 

Noya stops his wailing and looks at the MP3 player. Then he looks back at the jeweler. “Yes…” he says skeptically. 

“Interesting. My grandson collects retro electronics and I have yet to get him a present for Christmas. Maybe we can make a trade? On top of the money, of course.” 

Noya looks between his MP3 player and the necklace a few times as he lets the proposition process in his head. They don’t make electronics like this anymore. And he really doesn’t want to have to start using his smartphone for music when he runs. For one thing he doesn’t want to buy the special headphones he would need, but also it would defeat the whole unplugged meditation purpose of his jogging. 

But for Asahi… To see him smile and maybe even tear up with joy on Christmas morning? Noya’s heart flutters. 

“Okay,” he says. He nods his head and shakes the jeweler’s hand firmly. “Deal.” 

\--- 

Asahi doesn’t go straight home from work. He stops by the mall to pick up his check for working as Santa during the weekends, and then he takes a quick detour into the city. 

Most of the stores are closed by the time he gets there, but Asahi has an appointment with the man he’s meeting for the headphones. 

As he walks, he looks at the money in his hands and smiles. It was such a fun month, getting to work with his husband on such a rewarding job. Seeing Noya entertain the children in line while they waited to meet Asahi. After a couple of days, it wasn’t even that scary anymore. Asahi still thought he made a crummy Santa, but he wouldn’t trade that time spent in the mall for anything. In fact, he made a mental note to pitch it as a potential new holiday tradition for him and Noya to do together every year. Next time without all the secrets and dodging. He isn’t sure he is going to be able to top this present again anyway. 

The streets are empty and the sun has long set. Christmas is only a few hours away. Asahi is suddenly filled with the spirit of the holiday, as if it hadn’t been there already, and he practically skips all the way to the underground electronics dealer. 

The location is a little sketchy. Asahi wonders for a moment if maybe Noya wouldn’t be better built for this kind of encounter, but he follows the stairs that lead under a different, already closed shop, and knocks on the door covered in graffiti. The metal door lurches open, startling Asahi, and then he’s looking down in the face of a tired man with an undercut and huge gauges. 

“You’re Azumane?” the man grunts. “Here for the headphones?” 

“Y-Yes,” Asahi squeaks, holding his money up. “I brought the money.” 

The man takes the wad of cash from Asahi and leaves the door open to let himself inside. The shop is dark and cold and Asahi just wants to get this over with and go home to cuddle with Noya all night. 

The man sighs suddenly, almost making Asahi jump. “This isn’t enough,” he says, brandishing the money. 

“Wh-What?” Asahi asks, his heart sinking. “But… It’s the amount we agreed upon…” 

The man shrugs. “The price went up. I had another interested buyer. He’s coming by tomorrow. Unless you have a better offer, I’m going to sell them to him.” 

Asahi swallows. He’s braver than this. He can barter with this man. “Please,” he says firmly. “Christmas is tomorrow, I really need them.” 

The room is truly almost as dark as it is outside. There is only one source of light on a desk pushed up against the wall. The dim greenish glow of the lamp bounces through the tension. The man shrugs. “Unless you have more money I can’t help. Sorry, bro, these are the breaks.” 

Asahi balls a hand into a fist. He doesn’t have anymore money. He doesn’t have anything else he can add to the offer. But then the light of the lamp jumps off something laying on his chest and casts a light across the ceiling. A light bulb flickers on in Asahi’s head. 

He grabs the gold pendant in his hand and looks at it. It’s very sentimental to him. The gift he had gotten after graduation from Karasuno. Daichi and Suga have matching pendants somewhere. Asahi has worn his every day since he graduated, a little bit afraid to let go of the past. But it _is_ solid gold. 

The man must see the gears working in Asahi’s brain because he says, “I’m not a pawn shop, okay, I will only take money.” 

“This has got to be worth some money,” Asahi says, taking the necklace off and holding it out. “Take it. Please.” 

“Look, man,” the guy says, taking the necklace reluctantly. “It’s all tarnished. This is crap.” 

“Just the chain is cheap,” Asahi pleads. “The pendant is white gold. I promise.” 

The man narrows his eyes and moves toward his desk with then necklace. He runs a few weird tests on it at his desk and then sighs and returns to Asahi with a box in his hands. “Okay,” he says. “Merry Christmas.” 

Asahi is shaking as he leaves the shop with the headphones, and he runs the whole way home, afraid that if he looks back he will change his mind. 

\--- 

Something is different about Asahi. Noya can’t really place his finger on it, but there is something… missing. He hasn’t shaved his beard off yet, so it’s not that. Is it just because Noya got used to seeing him in a fat suit with with white dye in his beard? He narrows his eyes in concentration, but then Asahi is handing him a wrapped box and smiling shyly and he forgets what he’s concentrating on. 

“Merry Christmas, Noya,” Asahi says after he pecks Noya on the temple. It’s still morning, technically. They just ate breakfast and recently migrated to the couch. Noya is sitting in Asahi’s lap, lounging like it’s any other day off. Except this one has presents. 

Noya beams as he tears into the wrapping paper. And then, as soon as the box is free, and he looks at the picture on the front of it, his stomach sinks. 

“Do you like them?” Asahi asks quietly. “Now you don’t have to keep replacing your cheap brands. Hopefully. They’re designed to withstand the strain from working out every day.” 

Noya wordlessly opens the box and pulls out the headphones. They’re really nice. And the headphone jack will definitely not fit in his phone. 

“Asahi,” Noya groans, pitching his head forward and leaning it on his husband’s shoulder. “This is so nice. I love them. But I have to be honest with you… I don’t have my MP3 player anymore.” 

Asahi’s eyes grow wide. “Did it die?” 

“No,” Noya says, feeling ashamed. He pulls the small box out of his pajama pocket and hands it to Asahi. “I traded it so I could buy you this.” 

Asahi opens the present slowly and almost fearfully, like there might be a human finger inside of it. And when the little black jewelry box pops open, revealing the gold chain inside, Asahi’s hand flies to his bare neck and something clicks in Noya’s mind. 

“Oh no,” he whispers. 

“I traded it…” 

“For the headphones?” 

“Yes…” 

There is a long pause while what they have done sinks in. And then, finally, Noya is the one who breaks it by laughing. 

“We are idiots,” he says between chuckles. “We both took that job, kept secrets from each other, and this is what happened because of it.” 

Asahi, despite himself, cracks a smile. Noya’s laughter is infectious. “I guess you’re right,” he says. “This is karma or something, huh?” 

Noya takes the jewelry box from Asahi and the headphones in his lap and sets them on the coffee table. He snuggles deeper into Asahi’s chest, wraps his arms around his warm husband and says, “Let’s make a pact. Next year: no flashy gifts. Nothing we can’t afford with our own money.” 

Asahi nods, his chin bumping softly against the top of Noya’s head. “Okay,” he agrees. “But, um, I wanted to see if maybe you wanted to do the santa thing again next year? This time, together. And maybe make it an annual thing.” 

Noya lifts his head off Asahi’s chest and peers up at him. “You had fun with those kids, huh?” 

Asahi blushes. “A little…” 

“Okay,” Noya says, his grin growing wider. “I want to do it again next year too. But let’s save the money we make. Put it in a jar or something.” 

“Anything in particular we’re saving up for?” 

Now that was a question, wasn’t it? Noya filtered through the options in his brain. They could go on a trip. They could buy a big TV or something. Maybe even a bigger apartment or house. 

His thoughts are interrupted by a vision of Asahi with a little girl on his lap. He’s soothing her as she cries. Noya’s heart swells. 

“We can save up for adoption…” he says quietly, almost too quietly for Noya. 

Asahi’s face grows warm again. “Adopt… Like… A child? To be parents?” 

Noya’s gaze locks onto Asahi’s. It’s fierce and determined. “I think we could be really good at it.” 

It’s a while before Asahi responds. He’s so stunned by the sudden suggestion. It’s something they hadn’t really talked about before. But he knows, deep in his heart, that Noya isn’t wrong. He smiles. “Okay,” he says. Noya grins wide and leans in to kiss his husband on the lips. 

In the next week, they will clean out their spare bedroom, which has been a storage room for so long. Asahi will find the little wallet sized picture of Noya from when he graduated, and he will go down to the store to buy a cheap locket that he can hang on his new gold chain with the picture of Noya inside. Noya will find the old mix CD’s that Asahi used to make him when they were dating, and he will track down an old but reliable portable CD player that he can use his new headphones on. And they will spend a lot of time talking about the future and how they’re going to raise their children. 

But before that, they spend the rest of their Christmas relishing in each other, hoping that someday it won’t just be the two of them anymore.


End file.
